How to Plan a Trip Using Google Maps
Planning a trip to a new destination is no easy feat. It takes countless hours of researching accommodations, deciding on the best flights, and reading up on your favorite travel blogs & guides (like this one!). Luckily for you, I discovered the ULTIMATE way to plan your next holiday- Google Maps.
While it may sound strange at first, mapping out your vacation by proximity can be an absolute lifesaver! Rather than devoting precious time to solving transportation logistics between places, plotting a course that's close together gives you more efficiency and less stress. I love planning itineraries by grouping nearby attractions and activities together in one go. This creates an organized itinerary while still allowing enough flexibility to explore some hidden gems on a whim; simply drop a pin so you can find them again later! With this approach, nothing will ever be too far away or require a huge detour.
Maps also allow you to easily pin all your friend’s recommendations in one place. If you’re out exploring a neighborhood and have some time to kill or get hungry, simply check your map to see what’s nearby. I can’t even begin to explain how many times this has come in handy!
Protip: If you happen to be planning a trip to Bali or Oahu, you can save time by purchasing one of my maps. My maps have been curated for travelers and include over 500+ pre-pinned locations.
Shop My Google Maps
Curated by travelers for travelers, these maps contain 500+ of the best locations in prime vacation hotspots.
Create a new Google Map
You’ll start by creating a new Google Map for your destination.
Click here to go to the main Google Maps website.
Once you’re there, click the “Saved” button.
Click the “Maps” button.
Click “Create Map” to create a new map.
Decide what region you want your map to focus on
Depending on the length of your trip, your map can be focused on as big or small of an area as you want.
For my 3 month Bali trip, I created one big map of Bali, and then several small maps of regions within Bali. If you’re just now starting to plan your trip, I recommend starting big. Once you see where everything is on the map, you can then narrow it down further if you wish.
Choose what categories you want your map to have
Your categories are how you will organize your map. You later color code these categories and add custom icons so that you can find everything you need more easily. I typically start with “Hotels, Resorts, and Airbnb’s” if I have not yet decided where to stay (I highly recommend mapping everything first so you can choose where to stay based on location), or if I’m staying in multiple locations. From there, you can add restaurants, bars, beaches, important transport points, attractions, spas, shops, etc. I even go so far sometimes as to add “essentials” so I can pin important places such as immigration offices, the US embassy, pharmacies, and reliable ATM’s. Once you have your categories down, you can add them to your map by creating “layers” Important note: you can only have 10 layers.
Give your map a name
2. Double click on the first layer to rename it
3. Add the rest of your categories by clicking “add layer”
4. Add each category to your map
Add your ideas to your map!
This is the fun part! If you have already done some research, you can immediately start typing in locations and pinning them under the correct category. If you haven’t yet started looking into your destination, now is the time to start doing so.
Travel Planning Resources:
Travel Blogs
Written by travel-savvy individuals, blogs are a free and excellent resource to find information on your dream destination. Aside from my own, my favorite travel blogs are Salt in Our Hair, Jetset Christina, Journeyera, and the Blonde Abroad.
Travel Guides
When planning a big trip, I sometimes purchase some travel guides to help point me in the right direction. Many of your favorite bloggers or influencers likely sell a travel guide. I personally love the “Solo Girls Travel Guides” as they are packed full of helpful information.
Social Media
Though many of the spots we see on social media are a classic case of “Instagram vs. reality” social media has helped me find some amazing resorts, restaurants, and locations. Follow accounts relating to your destination, hashtags, and travel influencers for the best inspiration.
Type in your location and click on it
2. Click “add to map” to pin it
Customize your pins
I am an extremely visual person, so I like to color-code my map and add custom icons so that I can easily find what I am looking for. I also make a note of anything important, recommendations, happy hours, etc.
Click on the location you want to customize
Click the little paint bucket at the bottom
Choose your color & icon
I usually color code based on category and then subcategories within these: beaches blue, waterfalls green, etc. If one category gets too long (usually restaurants for me!) I then color code that. For example, all breakfast places are yellow, lunch blue, and dinner purple-all with custom icons. If you are super type-A like me, you can even upload custom icons.
Start planning your trip!
Once all your locations have been pinned, you can now start grouping things together that are nearby.
Planning by using locations saves so much time in the long run.
Decide where you want to stay
Once everything has been pinned to your map, you can make the best decision on what hotel or resort will be the best fit for your trip. If you want to be within walking distance of all the action, choose somewhere to stay that’s close to the rest of the pins on your map. If you don’t mind taking a cab, you can choose something a bit farther.
Narrow down what region you want to be in
If you plan on staying in multiple areas of one country, you can narrow down what regions you want to vacation in. Sometimes where you thought you wanted to stay turns out to not have much in the area, and somewhere you had never thought of before is filled with activities. When planning my last trip, one area of Bali that I had planned to do a day trip to turned out to have so many pins (waterfalls, temples, sightseeing!) around it, that I decided to spend a few nights there instead. It ended up being one of my favorite destinations!
Arrange the necessary transportation
Sometimes things that look close together on the map actually aren’t. Be sure to use google maps to figure out just how far one town is from another. Once you understand the distance, you can decide if you want to travel by foot, bike, train, or taxi.
Optional: Create a more detailed itinerary map
If I am trying to see a lot in a limited amount of time, I make a map with my day-to-day itinerary. Instead of “categories” I make each layer a date. I then pin everything I plan to do that day. Sometimes I’ll only pin a few things each day to give myself room to be spontaneous. This is a great way to visually plot out your days.
Download Google Maps Offline
Once your maps have been planned to perfection, download the Google Maps App to your phone so that you can access them anywhere. Be sure to download the app offline, so that you can view your maps even if you don’t have signal.
Happy travel planning!
Take the Hassle Out of Travel Planning
Planning your trip to Bali should be a breeze, but with so many amazing attractions and hidden spots on this beautiful island, it can get overwhelming. That's why I created the ultimate Bali Google Map! Take the stress out of travel planning- this map has been curated for travelers and includes over 500+ pre-pinned locations.
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This map contains 500+ Google pins, including:
Where to stay: everything from hostels & local homestays to eco-luxe Airbnb’s and luxurious 5-star resorts- all in prime locations.
Secret waterfalls, beaches, ricefields, temples, and viewpoints.
Attractions in hotspots like Ubud, Canggu, Uluwatu, Seminyak, Nusa Lembongan, Nusa Penida, and Nusa Ceningan.
Attractions in lesser-known areas such as Munduk, Sidemen, Lovina, Kintamani, Amed, Tabanan, Keramas, & West Bali.
Where to eat: cafes, coffeeshops, local warungs, and full-blown dining experiences.
Travel essentials: where to find Western-grade medical care, pharmacies, grocery stores, laundry, my visa agents, reliable ATM’s, etc.
The best beaches & prime surf breaks.
My favorite spas, wellness centers, and yoga studios.
The most Insta-worthy spots on the island.
Where to play: beachclubs, sunset-spots, speakeasys (you can even get a free tattoo when you buy a taco at one Canggu hotspot!).
Harbors, airports, and other transport points.
Insider tips for the smoothest travel, happy hour deals, and more!
Temples, markets, water-palaces, local trekking, and scenic viewpoints.
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No WIFI, no problem. Simply download Google Maps offline on your phone to secure access no matter your signal.
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This Google map will automatically update to your phone whenever I add a new location, tip, or region of Bali
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Once purchased, I will grant your email access to the Google map. You then have unlimited access to 500+ locations in Bali at your fingertips.
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I did the work so you don’t have to! I read countless blogs, scrolled endlessly on Instagram, and even bought a few guidebooks to plan my 3-month Bali trip. After all this, I pinned everything on this Google map and planned my itinerary by grouping things from my maps together. I ended up finding the best spots & making my travel days as smooth as possible!